Saturday, March 23, 2013

Oi, my feet hurt. I made the below scarves today as well as a bag, which is in it's final stages, so will post image tomorrow. 12 hours on my feet...time to sit and read, even though all the troops are fast asleep! The OCC guild shop in Toronto needs more work and I have lots of other art commitments, so am going to knock some good felt out and get it out the door!

I had 3 lovely Quebecois women in the studio yesterday who woke up very early for the trek to see me. We did a one day vessels class that went by in a flash. How quickly time passes once we get started! They were lots of fun and did very well with their English, which is a good thing because I speak no French, whatsoever!

Celine, Francesca and Anne-Marie

Celine's layout

Done!

Anne-Marie shaping.

Now, to tidy the studio so I can get back to my own work. I will keep you posted ;o)

Alex's soon to be hip bag for passport and the all-important smart phone.

Grommet time. Flap to be fully finished later.

The revealing of the elements!

Impressed that she was able to really follow the detail of her sketch!

Just a handful of the 15+ pods that were done in the class! The green one was my sample and has a new home!

My last (short) sleep was spent at the Denver Crown Plaza. Lucky me...

I had a wonderful, albeit quick, trip to Colorado. Two workshops with eager students that made great things. Pods went well and, as usual, produced a wide range of wild plant and animal creatures! I warned some that it would take awhile given all the elements that were being added, but did not want to discourage them. They did not disappoint as some worked late (lucky me got to sip wine and chat!). Day three began bags and after another late-night conversation while students worked the night before, I allowed a nice range of options for my students. The ones that had the most ambitious bags worked extra hard to finish in plently of time and the new felters were great about not being too elaborate with their design.
They were a wonderful, warm group and I hope that I will have the chance to go back to the area. The view from my studio was stunning, as you can see. The elevation took a bit of getting used to as I huffed and puffed walking to the dining hall (how sad is that?!) But, it was so fabulous. Visiting with "old" (sorry ladies) friends, Val and (fellow instructor) Jill Gully was so nice and made a couple of new friends, Deb and Alex who I hope to cross paths with again.

Everyone fared well at home, but they were happy to see me as the cupboards were getting empty. I was happy to get back to the studio and reality, even though being away in the beautiful rockies with wonderful students was pretty sweet too. Thanks, all.